Embarking on a Pilgrimage: Redux
by Mireille Bouquet Fan
Summary: Mireille Bouquet decides to take part in a 'pilgrimage to the past'. Set during episode one. Re-edited.


_Noir_ is owned by Ryoe Tsukimura, Bee Train Entertainment and Victor Entertainment. The English language version, originally produced by A.D. Vision, is owned by FUNimation Entertainment.

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Embarking on a Pilgrimage

A _Noir_ story

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Decisions

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"Please lend me your help, Mireille. I need your help to find out what I am. I need your help until... until... I find that answer."

Mireille Bouquet stopped as she passed the girl seated at the table on her way to the door, her eyes closed in thought as she considered her position. She knew what it was like to want answers to an unanswered question. One such question had been plaguing her for ten years. Ten years without an answer to the question that had arisen from the event that changed her life forever. So from that perspective, she understood Kirika Yuumura's situation.

Mireille opened her eyes. But why her, of all people? Out of the blue, this girl had emailed her with an odd request, which led to her coming all the way to Japan to meet her. Apparently, as was stated rather cryptically in that first email, she wanted Mireille to help her find out about her past.

It was ludicrous. As she'd just stated, she wasn't in the business of helping people. Yes, she was trustworthy – she kept her clients' confidence – but she worked alone. No partner to get in her way or give her away.

Her motivation in coming to Japan to meet this girl was curiosity, and the prospect of finding answers for herself, not a desire to embark on a 'pilgrimage for the past' or to help her. She would have ignored the email proposing a 'pilgrimage' altogether, had that email not included the melody from that old musical pocketwatch. Her father's old pocketwatch.

The promise of a lead, a clue that could help solve that ten year old mystery, was too tempting to pass up, and she suspected Kirika knew it. How else would she know that the watch would bring her here, if she didn't know about her family? For that matter, how did she get it?

* * *

Before leaving to meet Kirika, she emailed a contact in Japan, asking him to check the girl's official records. Mireille researched her assignments, and this would be no different.

He told her that the Yuumura family moved into their current residence about six months ago, but within three months both parents left for America, leaving their daughter behind to finish school. As a result, she currently lived alone.

He also told her that he strongly suspected that her records as held by the school and various government departments were forgeries. Her parents were never heard from once they left for America – an attempt to find their address online yielded nothing. The company they worked for never existed. Their bank accounts were emptied and closed as soon as they 'left' Japan. It was entirely possible, therefore, that the name Kirika Yuumura was, in fact, an alias. So, she really had little idea who this person was until she actually met her.

And then Mireille found out that Kirika was good – _very_ good – at killing, and that interestingly, in spite of her amnesia, Kirika knew or suspected that her past life was a lie, and she wanted to find out about herself, hence the 'pilgrimage' she was proposing.

* * *

There was another possibility, Mireille thought, as she stood there. It was all an act, in which case, Kirika was trying to get close to her for whatever reason, and had dangled the watch in her face as bait, knowing that it would bring her out. How much did she _really_ know?

Then again... perhaps she shouldn't be so quick to come to conclusions. It was possible that Kirika was, in fact, telling the truth. Her expressions, her voice, seemed genuine enough.

Which brought her back to where she was now – in either case, she would have to investigate further, if only to find out how she got her hands on that pocketwatch, but that left open the question of whether or not she would agree to help her. Here she was, in another country with a girl whose real name she didn't know, whose documented history was a forgery, who had a pocketwatch identical to her father's, who claimed to have no memories that went back more than a few months, who apparently had hitmen after her, and who was an alarmingly proficient killer, asking her for help to find out the truth about her past? Allowing this girl into her confidence was unacceptable. She was simply too dangerous.

And yet...

Mireille looked down at Kirika, who was still seated at the table. She looked up at her, her large brown eyes pleading. Puppy-dog eyes.

She couldn't help but be moved by the look in her eyes. It was a look that begged for sympathy and help. Part of Mireille immediately felt sorry for her. She even empathised. This girl had been living a lie for who knew how long, and wanted the truth.

She felt herself frowning, then consciously stopped. She had been trying to cultivate a cool, indifferent poker face over the last year and a bit, but clearly it still wasn't working. She hoped she didn't notice the change in her face.

Thinking pragmatically, she realised that as dangerous as Kirika was, this was the best lead she had had in ten years. It was a long shot, but she had to take it if she was to find out what happened to her family. And if Kirika could benefit as well, then maybe it would be worth it for both of them. If she was trustworthy, she might even make a good partner; she was clearly a capable killer.

Still, the road ahead – should she take that road – was long and fraught with danger. Starting with Kirika, Mireille reminded herself. Then again, if Kirika's goal was simply to kill her, she would have done it by now. That was her only reassurance, that she wasn't already dead and Kirika wanted something else. Hopefully if that was the case and Kirika wanted something else, her pursuit of that goal would buy Mireille enough time to find out what else Kirika knew.

So, this was it, the big decision. One of the biggest, riskiest decisions she would ever make. It was a gamble, and the stakes were high: if things went her way, she could get closer than ever to finding out what happened to her family, but if things were to go bad...

Mireille sighed. She hoped that she wouldn't regret this.

She sat down at the table, this time next to Kirika. The odds were against them – Kirika had to know that – but she wanted to hear her say it anyway. "You know that we have no leads? And that this will take a very long time?"

Kirika nodded.

"There are people after our blood, you know. We may not live long enough to find our answers."

Kirika nodded again.

"There's no guarantees that we'll find anything at all."

Kirika nodded a third time.

Mireille nodded in reply. _So far, so good... I think._

She decided to make her position with regard to Kirika clear. She didn't like Kirika – she was a threat to her safety and security, and unlike other people she knew, Kirika couldn't be trusted. The way she had entered her life was intrusive and unwelcome, even if there was a potential benefit to be had.

This relationship was one of convenience. Yes, Mireille felt sorry for her, and she saw a reflection of herself in Kirika's search for answers, but she couldn't let sentimentality get in the way of her sense of caution. Being cautious kept her alive.

It was time to see just how far Kirika was willing to go.

She glanced down at the Beretta, still lying on the table where she had left it. Kirika had not attempted to recover her weapon.

Mireille lowered her voice. "You know what it is that I do for a living, and you know that means I can't let you live."

Kirika nodded. "Yes."

_She was ok with that? Or was she just playing along?_ Mireille studied her face; nothing.

_This is it. No turning back now._ "I suppose... someone with your skills could be useful, as well." She paused for a second, then nodded. "All right. I'll team up with you. We'll go back to my apartment in Paris."

Kirika's face seemed almost to light up. Her eyes widened and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth, which opened slightly. She was clearly happy with Mireille's response.

Mireille wouldn't deny that she had partially acted out of pity for Kirika. However, she decided she needed to assert herself before they went any further. "But let me make this very clear: we play by my rules. If you step out of line, I will kill you without a second thought. Got it?"

Kirika's smile faded, replaced by shock, her mouth slightly hanging open with mild surprise. The shock on her face promptly gave way to what looked like neutrality, with a hint of determination showed by slightly narrowed eyes. She closed her mouth and nodded a fourth time.

Mireille pushed herself back slightly, away from the table. "I'd better get back to the hotel, now. It's best that we stay separated for now."

Kirika nodded.

Mireille stood up from the table once again and looked down at Kirika. "This won't be easy. They're sure to come after us again."

She exhaled, now thinking aloud as much as she was talking to Kirika. "We'll have to be ready for them. They could come for us any time. And when they do, there's something I want to ask them."

Mireille nodded at Kirika. "I'm sure you have questions, too. Hopefully, we'll get our answers."

For her part, Kirika looked up at her intently, not saying a word. She gave a slight nod.

Mireille bent slightly at the waist, leaning ever so slightly closer to Kirika. "Once that's over, I will kill you."

Kirika nodded. "I'll be waiting for that moment."

Mireille was bemused – inwardly, she frowned to herself – but she hid her confusion behind a cool, calm mask as she straightened herself, raising an eyebrow as she did so. She certainly wasn't expecting this sort of... passivity.

It was a final test, to see if she would fold. After all, who entered into a business relationship knowing that the other party would kill them? You wouldn't expect your business partner-to-be to respond well to such a threat. She had expected anger, defiance, sarcasm, or incredulity. Some might have even laughed it off, asking if Mireille was serious. The reply would be negative, irrespective of the actual words used.

She had not expected this.

The main issue was her delivery – _how _she said it, not _what _she said. Kirika said it calmly, matter-of-factly, without malice or anger, and without a challenging or defiant tone – she didn't see the prospect of her death as a challenge to be met, it seemed. Nor was her tone that of someone who was resigned to her fate, or tired, or defeated.

Her response was therefore not an angry or defiant one, but rather one that seemed to be accepting the inevitable in a manner that wasn't overly defeatist. Kirika had basically said she was ok with that.

Kirika Yuumura had called her bluff.


End file.
